What We Do with 35 Million Dollars; Eight Charter Schools on Probation; Please Join Me! to Hear State Superintendent Speak

Last night at the regularly scheduled board meeting of the LCESC, the treasurer, Richard Cox, noted that our budget is currently $35 million dollars (down from $38 million a few years ago). The natural follow-up question asked by constituents: What do you do with that money?
Here are just a few of the services the LCESC provides to the school districts in the community:

• Special Education Services: occupational, physical, speech therapy, audiology and vision services; school psychologists; cooperative classrooms for students with multiple disabilities, emotional disabilities and autism
• Student Programs: gifted and talented, preschool and Headstart, Alternative schools, dual credit to seniors
• Cooperative Endeavors: insurance and purchasing consortia, assistance in search for administrators (currently involved with helping Anthony Wayne find a superintendent), state and federal grants
• Professional Development: first-year teacher programs, leadership development, curriculum assessment and improvement sessions
• Implementation of Federal and State regulations: licensure renewals, background checks, home-schooling, school attendance, child abuse awareness and prevention, education management information system
• Community Partnerships - Challenger Center, ALCC

Each of these components contains many other programs and opportunities. Last night we honored dozens of outstanding students from our eight member districts. Next Tuesday we will host the Lucas County Spelling Bee. The list goes on and on. If your child attends a school in Lucas County -public or private - there is a good chance that s/he has been the recipient of the services of the LCESC.

In other news, eight of our charter schools are on probation for academic issues: seven are not local, but Victory Academy in Toledo is one of the local charters on probation. This is a k-8 school which enrolls about 100 students. Updates will be forthcoming as the situation progresses. Accountability from the charter schools with which we are involved is of paramount importance.

The State Superintendent, Deb DeLisle, will speak at the Spring Conference of the NWO region of the OSBA on Thursday, March 12th, at Bowling Green State University. Tickets are $30 and include a wonderful meal and entertainment by the Otsego Swing Choir! Joe Rutherford, current president of the LCESC, will be honored for his many years as a member of the NWO executive committee. I am attending this event - the public is welcome! If you want tickets, let me know - this is your State Superintendent and your opportunity to meet her!